Governor of Gujarat Shriman O.P. Kohli Ji, Chief Minister Shri Rupani Ji, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Nitin Bhai, their colleagues in the council of Ministers Shriman Bhupendra Ji Chudasama, Shri Pradeep Singh Jadeja, Director General of Gujarat Forensic Science University Dr. J. M. Vyas, all the dignitaries present in theconvocation, all the medal winner scholars and their guardians and the school students who are Prime Minister’s special guest for today’s event.
Brothers and sisters,
I heartily welcome all of you to the 4th convocation of Gujarat Forensic Science University. And I am extending this welcome so that no one should mistake me for a guest to this event. First of all, I would like to warmly congratulate all those students who are going to receive the degrees today and those who are about to start a very important journey of their lives. I also extend my warm greetings to the parents and other members of families of all the students. It is because of their upbringing, their efforts and their hard work that today their beloved sons and daughters have achieved this success.
I am particularly delighted to be at the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University. This university and the students studying here are pioneers. This is not a university that offers courses that are more talked about. Instead, the focus area is specific. Your road to Gandhinagar would not have been an easy one. When you planned to come here, I am sure people asked you are you sure, you want to do this? Are you watching too many crime related TV shows? Or, are you reading too many Agatha Christie or Feluda books? Yet, you persisted and selected a stream that is conventionally believed to be unconventional but highly important for today’s age. This shows that you not only believe in yourself but also are blessed with the power of determination to pursue your own dreams. This trait will always help you in the times to come. Friends, It is a matter of pride that in a short time, GFSU has achieved such a bench-mark of academic excellence that the National Assessment and Accreditation Council has awarded this University an ‘A’ Grade. I am glad that GFSU is among very few universities in India, to achieve this immediately after establishment. With Thirty-Five courses and Two-Thousand Two-Hundred Plus students, Gujarat Forensic Science University is engaged in teaching and research in different areas of Forensic Sciences. I congratulate the leadership, management, and faculty of GFSU for their energy and commitment, making this University the pride of Gujarat and India.
Friends,
Police, forensic science andjudiciary, these three things are an integral part of the criminal justice delivery system. In any country, the stronger these three organs are, the safer the citizens of that country would be as the criminal activities will be under check. And keeping this in mind, a comprehensive work to extend these three pillars has been going on in Gujarat with a holistic approach for the last few years. Defence Power University, National Law University andForensic Science University constitute a complete holistic package linked to the legal system. And the result of this approach is that qualified and trained students who have been passing out from the Defence Power University are strengthening the country’s internal security by joining the armed forces. The students passing out from the National Law University and Forensic Science University have been further adding to the efficiency, investigation and legal processes of our armed forces.
Friends,
Given the kind of methods being adopted by the criminals these days to prevent their crimes from being exposed, to avoid being caught, it is equally important to make everyone realise that if he does something wrong then he will be caught in the future, he will have to face the consequences one day.
This fear of being apprehended and the commission of crime by himbeing proven in a court of law has been extremely helpful to keep crimes under check. And the role of forensic science becomes very important here. This certainty of being punished provides a new strength to the credibility of our judicial system.
And I particularly appreciate GFSU for creating a large pool of human resource in a scientific manner to strengthen the criminal investigation and justice delivery system. It is not just India, but law enforcement agencies across the globe are coming forward to seek help from your university. Your university is earning reputation at international level by providing training and consultancy to their personnel.
I have been told that Gujarat Forensic Science University has provided training to more than 6,000 officers in the last six years. More than 700 police officers of 20 countries have also received training here. And they have now been using their knowledge and skills to keep their countries and societies safe by going back to their countries. It is a matter of great pride for all of you, for all the people of Gujarat that an university operating in the state has been playing such a decisive role in the global security on the basis of its training and education.
Friends,
It is also extremely important in the modern times that every new system should absorb the latest technology. Digital technology certainly has an important role to play in it. Digital technology has given a new strength to forensic science. Earlier all the testing and investigations were required to be conducted physically, but today digital technology has made these processes and jobs even easier and also more precise. And I believe that there is still a lot of scope to develop new software and increase the use of digital tools and we should think in this direction in a more serious manner.
Friends,
On the one hand, internet has made the lives of all of us even more easy but on the other hand it has also given birth to a new kind of crime, cyber crime. Cyber crime is not only a challenge for the privacy of citizens of the country but it is also affecting our all other important organs like financial institutions, power stations and hospitals as well. It poses a serious challenge to national security not only for India but also for all other countries. Today, on this occasion, I urge all the cyber and digital experts that they should help in keeping the country and society safe and for their empowerment by becoming a partner in Digital India Mission.
The government has taken necessary steps to check cyber crime and inculcate fear in the minds of criminals. Cyber Forensic Labs have also been strengthened but the country needs experts like you in a big way who can help the investigative agencies to apprehend cyber criminals.
Friends,
It is not just in the field of crime alone but the importance of forensic science has been increasing in other fields as well. For example, in the insurance sector all sorts of people approach insurance companies for settlement of claims. It is a big challenge for them to ascertain whether the person making the claim is a genuine one or not. Knowledge of forensic science can help them in this thing. Similarly, if the people working in the health sector, if they have knowledge of forensic science then they will do their job while keeping the needs of forensic science in their minds. For example, if an injured person reaches hospital subsequent to a crime then he carries a lot of forensic evidence with him. If the people working in the health sector, if the nurses have a better understanding of forensic science then they can help a lot in preserving these evidences.
It can be very important for every student of forensic science to develop a fine understanding of human intelligence. Perhaps some of you might have heard about the Pagi community living in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Pagi community living in the Kutch and border areas has been known for their human intelligence for centuries. For example, by looking at the pugmarks of a camel they can tell whether someone was riding on it or whether it was also carrying some luggage on it. I have read it somewhere that skill development in this regard starts from the very childhood among the members of Pagi community. And that is why even today, in some areas, Police take the help of people from Pagi community in solving heinous crimes.
I would like to tell the university and its administration that these things have been used in the world at some point or other and it has been done through the human intelligence. And this Forensic Science University should focus on such subjects. Earlier, when there was no digital technology, at that time people used to collectevidence and match finger prints. There used to be hand writing experts. Psychoanalysts were there who would prepare psycho profile. Easrlier, all these things were there.
These traditional methods which existed in India, they were there in every state and I wonder if these can be compiled by Forensic Science University and linked with the new technology. I believe that not only in India, if there is any such method in any other country of the world and if we use that knowledge then we can take these things forward to a great extent.
For example, the psycho-profile which is being prepared, the psychoanalysis that is being conducted, at one point it was prepared by talking to the person, by questioning the family members of the person.
Today, it is being done with the help of technology. As traditional knowledge combined with technology has brought efficiency and perfection; similarly, I believe that it should be one more area of research for ourForensic Science University that how we can work in this field by combining the traditional knowledge, human intelligence and modern technology. Our university should work in that direction.
Friends, criminals and ways of committing crime are constantly changing. In order to deal with rapidly changing crime scenario, you also have to develop newer techniques to make it clear that criminals will not be spared. DNA profiling has established new dimensions in forensic investigation. With the help of this technology, many such cases have been resolved which would otherwise remain unsolved. I call upon forensic experts to help the judicial system by using DNA profiling as much as possible so that culprit get punished immediately and the victims get justice. Looking at the importance of DNA technology in forensic investigation, our government has approved the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill 2018. Through this bill, we will ensure that all DNA tests remain reliable and the data is safe. The Government has also decided to strengthen DNA analysis labs in all the States and Union Territories. A State of the Art lab under the Nirbhaya scheme is being established at Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh. I am confident that in the coming times, we will be able to deter the heinous crimes, including the crimes committed on women, speedily and accurately.
For example, you might have read in the news papers that in the last few days a court in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh sentenced two rapists, the two demons to death for raping a minor within less than two months of start of hearing of the case. In just two months!Prior to that a court in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh has sentenced these devils to death after hearing the case for just five days. Courts in Rajasthan have also acted in the similarly swift manner.
You who deal with forensic science can render a great service so that our courts can take quick decisions in the cases of heinous crimes like rapes. You people can have a huge impact. It is true that the government has made the law even more stringent, the police carried out the investigations but forensic science provided a strong scientific support system to the courts of law for taking a swift decision. This kind of swift implementation of judicial process will not give criminals any opportunity to escape justice. And I believe that your skills render a great service to the society in checking the most serious crimes.
Friends,
The government has been constantly working in the direction of strengthening the forensic science in every state of the country. In this series, the government has approved the proposal to upgrade the Gujarat Forensic Science University under the scheme to modernize the police forces of the country.
The work has been started to establish new institutes and centres of excellence at national and international level. More than Rs. 300 crore will be spent on this project of which 60% will be provided by the centre. And I am happy to note that the government of Gujarat has already released nearly Rs. 50 crore for this purpose. This money will be used in the modernisation and expansion of the technologies related to forensic science.
Friends,
You have selected a very appropriate subject to study. Some of the principles from the classrooms of Forensic Science will also help you in the classroom of life, though in different contexts. They taught you the Law of Individuality, never forget that principle in life too. Swami Vivekananda used to say each soul is potentially divine. This means each one of us, within ourselves, has tremendous strength that is just waiting to be explored. The first step towards manifesting this strength is to believe. Believe in yourself. Believe in your abilities. Believe in your potential. Locard taught you that the perpetrator of a crime will bring something into the crime scene and leave with something from it. I am sure you will always be solving crimes. But, do remember that each one of you students brings great value to our society as well. And, while adding value, do not forget to also learn from others. Keep your mind open to new ideas, views and opinions. Enrich the world with your thoughts and absorb the best that others have to offer. This diversity is what will make you a richer person. And, when I say Law of Progressive Change, while your mind would naturally go back to what you were taught, also think about the times to come. We live in a world that is rapidly changing in every sense. Cutting edge innovation is the corner-stone of our times. It does not take much time for a new idea to become old. People, and youngsters in particular are coming out with out of the box solutions in record time. Likewise, you too must be at the centre of the changing trends across the globe. Your education and intelligence has trained you to think out of the box. Ensure that you use these skills not only to keep pace with the changes around us but also to drive some of the progressive changes that make our world a better place. Generations to come will thank you for it. Friends, no scheme or initiative can be successful without the participation of youth. I am confident that the knowledge you have gained here will help you serve the country effectively and achieve professional success. I hope you shall continue to hold your Alma Mater in the highest esteem. I wish all the graduating students a bright and vibrant future.
I have noticed today that most of the awards were bagged by daughters and very few havegone to boys. Look! This is the sheen of changing times. I especially congratulate these daughters and their parents and convey my Raksha Bandhan wishes particularly to these daughters.
Thank you very much!
